Count day for dps

Buy American · September-29-10, 07:43 AM

"Parents who send their students for a full day will get a chance to win a Target gift card."

Now isn't that special. Parents should WANT to send their children to school and not expect incentives for it.

Read more: Count day may be score for DPS | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/2010092...#ixzz10vDGlm4H

**Crumbled_pavement** · September-29-10, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by Buy American

Now isn't that special. Parents should WANT to send their children to school and not expect incentives for it.

I disagree. Parents should want a lot of incentives for sending their kids to school, like a good education, better job opportunities, better life chances, etc. Although, I'm merely arguing semantics and agree with the jist of what you're saying.

Buy American · September-29-10, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by Crumbled_pavement

I disagree. Parents should want a lot of incentives for sending their kids to school, like a good education, better job opportunities, better life chances, etc. Although, I'm merely arguing semantics and agree with the jist of what you're saying.

Yes, parents should want all of those things for their children. Schools give them a chance to begin to achieve those things. Job opportunities are not provided by DPS, it only helps prepare them for life and it's ups and downs; better life chances can only be achieved by the parents and students dedication towards getting that education and continuing education.

My parents got nothing from DPS for sending me to school. It was their obligation as a parent to do so, it was the law. When is it the parents obligation to do the right thing? When is it the parents turn to take responsibility for their children and not blame someone else.

**jackie5275** · September-29-10, 08:43 AM

Nothing like bribing them into attending.

Buy American · September-29-10, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

Nothing like bribing them into attending.

That's exactly my point....after today, what will be the next incentive? Instead of the parents paying school taxes, the DPS will pay them to attend? The DPS has some severe problems, mainly with the people who have that big mahogany desk and the redecorated office with expensive paintings on the wall...not the teachers.

It's the parents or the grandparents or the great-grandparents responsibility to get their children to school, unarmed, full belly, ready and wanting to learn!

**jt1** · September-29-10, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by Buy American

"Parents who send their students for a full day will get a chance to win a Target gift card."

Now isn't that special. Parents should WANT to send their children to school and not expect incentives for it.

Read more: Count day may be score for DPS | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/2010092...#ixzz10vDGlm4H

Many, many districts in SE Michigan have events/raffles/etc for count day. I'm sure you'd like to comment about those districts as well, right?

**Nikki Pooh** · September-29-10, 08:56 AM

I understand the concept of DPS trying to secure as much funding as possible, but offering an incentive to the parents is a bad idea. It sets an expectation for the parents...

**agirlintheD** · September-29-10, 09:06 AM

Who is paying for the incentives? Last time I checked the city and DPS were slightly "cash-strapped". Here's the incentive we knew growing up, "you don't go to school, your dad will talk with you when he gets home"...or the threat of a truant officer showing up at your door. A Target card, face painting, free breakfast & lunch, pizza? Are you kidding me? Then we sit here and wonder what happened. Get your asses to school. PERIOD!

**Crumbled_pavement** · September-29-10, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by Nikki Pooh

I understand the concept of DPS trying to secure as much funding as possible, but offering an incentive to the parents is a bad idea. It sets an expectation for the parents...

Again I disagree, mainly on semantics. Parents should have great expectations of DPS, and the fact that DPS has failed those expectations is why the school system is struggling. Instead of offering the short sighted incentive of an ipod, they need to offer the insentive of a better education, better job opportunities, and better life chances. An ipod gets lost, stolen, outdated. You can't steal an education or job skills. That's what DPS should excel at and that is what they should be offering. And damn skippy parents should expect that!

Buy American · September-29-10, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by jt1

Many, many districts in SE Michigan have events/raffles/etc for count day. I'm sure you'd like to comment about those districts as well, right?

Tell me what districts you're talking about. I'm talking about DPS right now, not any other district, but I would feel the same way. The only reason for "incentives" is to bribe the parents to get off their a$$e$, get up in the morning, maybe feed their kids, and make sure they get on the bus or drive them to school.

Any district that has to offer incentives to get parents to send their kids to school one day of the year for the "count" makes me just as mad as what I'm reading about DPS.

It's bribery in the simplest form.

agirlintheD said it perfectly... "Here's the incentive we knew growing up, "you don't go to school, your dad will talk with you when he gets home"...or the threat of a truant officer showing up at your door". That's the way it was, that's the way it should be today!

**Det_ard** · September-29-10, 11:01 AM

Show me a school system where they have to bribe the kids to attend school, and I'll show you a school system I'll never send my kids to.

**jackie5275** · September-29-10, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by agirlintheD

A Target card, face painting, free breakfast & lunch, pizza? Are you kidding me? Then we sit here and wonder what happened. Get your asses to school. PERIOD!

Does this speak to the materiality that parents/our society have? It's more important for me to get Target card & my kids free meals than for them to get a good education. Is that kind of thinking/mentality going on?

Buy American · September-29-10, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

Does this speak to the materiality that parents/our society have? It's more important for me to get Target card & my kids free meals than for them to get a good education. Is that kind of thinking/mentality going on?

Obviously DPS must think so to be bribing the parents of Detroit students. Just listen to the way some of the DPS top execs speak and read some of the messages they write and you can see where the problem is.